82 killed in Iraq as fire erupts at COVID-19 hospital

Addis Ababa, April 25, 2021 (FBC) -At least 82 people were killed and over 100 injured in a fire that broke out in the coronavirus intensive care unit of a Baghdad hospital.

The blaze on Sunday at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in the Iraqi capital was sparked by an accident that caused an oxygen tank to explode, according to medical sources.

The flames spread quickly, according to civil defence officials, as “the hospital had no fire protection system and false ceilings allowed the flames to spread to highly flammable products”.

The interior ministry announced on Sunday afternoon that 82 people were killed and 110 were injured in the blaze, according to Aljazeera.